ENHANCEMENT OF ARTEPILLIN C ENCAPSULATION EFFICIENCY IN NANOSTRUCTURED LIPID CARRIERS (NLCS) USING EMULSION-ULTRASONICATION METHODOLOGY

Artepillin C, the main phenolic compound found in Brazilian green propolis, exhibits a wide range of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antitumoral properties. However, its high lipophilicity leads to poor solubility in aqueous media, compromising its bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy. As an alternative, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) composed of solid and liquid lipids have been explored as promising systems for the encapsulation and controlled release of bioactive compounds, enhancing their stability and pharmacological performance. This study proposes the development of NLCs containing artepillin C, with the primary goal of increasing the encapsulated concentration of the active compound. The systems were prepared using the emulsion-ultrasonication technique. The physicochemical characterization of the formulations was carried out using complementary techniques. The Raman and FTIR spectroscopy were employed to confirm interactions between the active compound and the lipid matrix; dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis indicated the formation of nanoparticles with nanometric mean size and low polydispersity index (PDI); X-ray diffraction (XRD) was used to assess the physical state of the lipids and the potential amorphization of the actives; and encapsulation efficiency was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results indicated that it was possible to obtain stable nanostructured systems with appropriate physicochemical properties and effective encapsulation of the compounds at the proposed concentrations. These findings reinforce the potential of the employed methodology for the development of NLCs with high bioactive compound loading capacity.